Hotel Opening In Cancun: Riu Ventura By Playa Delfines

Published on Dec 15, 2025, 5:07 pm CST

6 min read

Key points

RIU Hotels & Resorts opened Riu Ventura beside Playa Delfines in Cancun's Hotel Zone on December 9, 2025
The resort has 705 rooms, including 36 first-floor swim-up rooms, a first for RIU in Mexico
A sixth-floor adults-only pool deck and Sky Bar adds a quieter option alongside family pools
Dining spans multiple restaurants and snack concepts, plus a 24-hour sports bar
Guests can attend four weekly RIU Party events hosted at Hotel Riu Caribe in Cancun

Impact

Where This Hotel Fits Best: Pick Riu Ventura if you want a large all-inclusive in Cancun's Hotel Zone with both family energy and a distinct adults-only rooftop zone
Best Room Types To Compare: Price standard rooms against the 36 swim-up options, and confirm exactly what pool access, privacy, and view you are paying for
Dining And Bar Planning: Expect lots of choice, but make a simple plan for your first two nights so you do not waste prime dinner slots deciding on the fly
RIU Party Logistics: If RIU Party is a priority, confirm entry rules, start times, and transportation options to and from Hotel Riu Caribe before you commit to late nights
Airport Transfer Timing: Build extra buffer for Cancún International Airport transfers during peak arrival waves, and keep a backup plan if road congestion flares

Riu Ventura opening Cancun hotel adds a new 705-room all-inclusive resort beside Playa Delfines in Cancun, Mexico, after the property opened on December 9, 2025. The resort is built for families and groups with multiple pools, kids programming, and RIU's 24-hour all-inclusive model, but it also sets aside a sixth-floor adults-only pool deck with a Sky Bar for quieter downtime. Travelers planning winter stays should compare room categories and party access up front, book airport transfers with extra buffer at peak check-in hours, and confirm whether they want the more relaxed rooftop zone or the livelier RIU Party nights.

The Riu Ventura opening Cancun hotel gives travelers a new all-inclusive base in the Hotel Zone, with a split personality that matters in practice, daytime family activity around the main pools, and a dedicated adults-only area designed to feel separate from the busiest decks.

What Opened, And Where It Sits In Cancun

RIU's announcement places the hotel next to Playa Delfines, a well known public beach area in the Hotel Zone that many visitors recognize for its viewpoints and open stretch of sand. For travelers, that location cue is useful because it signals a stay anchored in the central Hotel Zone strip, where transfers, day tours, and nightlife can be easier to arrange than farther south properties, but where road congestion can also spike fast at shift changes and during events.

If you are building an itinerary with early excursions or tight departure timing, treat ground transport as a real variable, not a formality. Recent Cancun transfer disruptions have shown how quickly conditions can change on key corridors, which is why it is worth padding your pickup times even when your hotel is "only" a short distance from the terminals. For local context, Adept Traveler's Quintana Roo overview and recent Cancun transfer advisories are a useful starting point: https://adept.travel/destinations/north-america/mexico/quintana-roo, https://adept.travel/news/2025-11-07-cancun-ride-hail-tensions-airport-transfers, and https://adept.travel/news/2025-11-21-cancun-highway-blockades-airport-transfers.

Rooms, Swim Up Options, And What To Verify Before Booking

RIU says Riu Ventura opened with 705 rooms, including 36 rooms with private swim-up pools on the first floor. The company frames those swim-up rooms as a Mexico first for its RIU holiday hotels, and early coverage highlights that the swim-up terraces are slightly elevated, which can improve privacy compared with a true ground level patio.

Background: What "Swim Up" Usually Means In most Caribbean resort layouts, "swim up" can mean anything from a patio that steps directly into a shared semi-private pool lane to a small private plunge pool attached to the room. Before you pay for the upgrade, confirm whether your room's pool is shared or private, whether it is heated, what hours it is open, and whether your terrace sits on a public pathway line where foot traffic can undercut the privacy you are expecting.

If you are traveling as a couple but still want the broader resort energy, the sixth-floor adults-only zone may deliver more day to day value than a swim-up category, especially if you plan to spend afternoons away from the busiest family pools.

Dining, Bars, And The Practical Way To Use The Variety

Riu Ventura leans hard into choice. RIU's list includes specialty restaurants spanning Asian (Kaori), Mexican (Agave), Italian (Rimini), a fusion concept (Kulinarium), and a steakhouse, plus a buffet with live cooking and two snack stations. The sports bar is positioned as a 24-hour option with an American-country concept and an à la carte menu, which is the kind of detail that matters if you arrive late, land hungry after a delayed flight, or want a predictable option between excursions.

In practice, the traveler win here is not trying to "do everything," it is using the first full day to map your defaults. Pick one reliable breakfast routine, one late lunch option you actually like, and one easy dinner choice for nights when you are tired. Then treat the rest as bonus variety, not a checklist.

Pools, Family Facilities, And The Adults Only Split

RIU describes four outdoor pools on the main level, plus a water play area for kids, which signals a classic family-forward resort footprint. At the same time, the sixth-floor Sky Bar and adults-only pool create a clear alternative for travelers who want a quieter scene without leaving the property. That rooftop concept is positioned as a first for RIU in Mexico, and it is the feature most likely to influence where you spend your hours once you arrive.

For families, the kids club (RIU Land) and the water play area can be the deciding factor because they reduce the daily friction of "what do we do for the next two hours." For adults traveling in groups, the rooftop zone can function as the reset button between louder pool time and evening plans.

RIU Party Nights, Fun, But Plan The Logistics

RIU says guests at Riu Ventura can attend its RIU Party events hosted at the Hotel Riu Caribe, including four weekly themed parties (White Party, Jungle Party, Pink Party, and Neon Party). If those events are the reason you are booking, treat them like a mini offsite, confirm the schedule on arrival, ask how transportation works, and decide ahead of time how late you realistically want to stay out.

How It Works

RIU markets RIU Party as a resort entertainment program across select destinations, with VIP options and themed events. On the ground, the details that matter are eligibility (which RIU hotels can attend), how you get there and back, and whether you need reservations for any premium areas. RIU notes transportation included for guests at some Cancun RIU properties attending parties at Riu Caribe, so Ventura guests should verify the same at check-in rather than assume it is automatic.

What This Opening Signals For Cancun Bound Travelers

RIU frames the opening as part of a broader Cancun commitment, saying it now has six hotels in Cancun, plus additional properties in Playa del Carmen and Costa Mujeres, bringing the company to 15 hotels in Quintana Roo and 23 in Mexico. The company also points to 2026 refurbishments for Hotel Riu Palace Peninsula in Cancun and Hotel Riu Palace México in Playa del Carmen, plus plans for a future Hotel Riu Palace Quintana Roo in Costa Mujeres. For travelers, the immediate takeaway is more supply and more segmentation, meaning it is worth comparing not just price, but whether you want a quieter couples vibe, a party-forward scene, or a family-forward setup with kids infrastructure.